The Beauty of Happiness
by iloveromance
Summary: A hurtful comment from Roz makes Daphne feel self-conscious about her appearance, and she is certain that the special night she'd been looking foreword to will be ruined. But love has a way of making things perfect. Written for Andress Jade


_**A/N: This is a belated birthday gift for Andress Jade with many thanks for her friendship and support. An expansion of Ch. 49 "100 Moments".**_

When the doorbell rang, Daphne's heart leaped in her chest as she hurried to answer it. She'd been anxiously waiting this evening because it was truly going to be special. And the fact that Roz was able to join them made it even more so. But it was Niles whose arrival she anticipated most of all.

Martin was in the bedroom getting ready and Frasier was working on some paperwork. But they assured her that they would be ready to go by the time the guest of honor arrived. Still the reassurance did little to calm her anxiousness.

Now Daphne opened the door and smiled, her eyes widening at the sight of her friend. "Wow, Roz, look at you!"

Roz smoothed her dress; the black one that hugged every curve. Daphne couldn't help but stare. Roz was nothing if not clothes-savvy. She always seemed to have the most amazing outfits. So what if the neckline plunged, revealing a body that Daphne could only dream of? She looked absolutely fantastic. Motherhood had, oddly enough, done wonders for her figure.

"Yeah, look at me. God, I should have worn something else."

"Why? You look amazing!" Daphne remarked.

"Really? You really think so?"

"God, yes. Wow, I-."

"Thank God for that. I couldn't decide what to wear, so I just picked this. I hope it's not too dressy."

"Not at all. I mean Le Cigar Volante is a pretty fancy place and-."

Roz pushed her way into the condo, and she paused, looking Daphne up and down. And then her eyes widened in horror.

"Roz, what is it?"

"God Daphne, please tell me you aren't wearing that!"

Daphne looked down at the dress she'd just bought the day before. Daphne looked down at the dress that she'd just bought yesterday. It was an A-line dress with large horizontal blue and yellow stripes. And the moment she saw it, she knew she had to have it. It had such beautiful colors and it seemed to stand out among all of the other dresses in the store. She hadn't showed it to anyone but she was certain that everyone would love it. She hadn't counted on Roz's harsh reaction.

"What's wrong with me dress?" she asked carefully.

"Those stripes look horrible on you!" Roz replied, making no attempt to hide her bluntness. "That dress makes you look like a blue and yellow striped whale!"

Daphne pretended not to be hurt by Roz's comment and suddenly she wished Roz hadn't been able to join them. "H-how can you say that? I just bought this yesterday." She said quietly. She looked at Roz's black dress. It fit tight against her body and sparkled like black diamond. It certainly seemed snug and she wondered how Roz could have possibly moved in such an outfit. Daphne preferred her clothes loose and baggy. If it were up to her, she'd live in sweatpants and sweatshirts.

She'd learned that it was more important to be comfortable. It was possible to do so and to still be stylish. But Roz didn't seem to see it that way.

"It was on sale." Daphne said proudly. "And the sales associate said I look like a dream in it."

Roz rolled her eyes. "More like a nightmare."

Daphne was hurt beyond belief. How could her friend be so cruel? "Roz!"

"Come on, Daphne. You honestly think-."

"I like this dress!" Daphne stated, feeling smaller than ever.

"Yeah? Well, I hope you can get a refund because it's awful!, but suit yourself."

Once again, Roz had managed to ruin what Daphne hoped would be a perfect evening. She wanted to lash out at her, for Roz was far from perfect, with her endless string of boyfriends and one-night stands; one the resulted in a pregnancy that Roz was completely unprepared for. Daphne loved Alice as though she was her own daughter, but getting pregnant without being married was Roz's biggest mistake ever. Roz certainly couldn't afford to raise a child on her salary.

But Daphne wasn't in the mood to argue with her so-called friend. Instead she pretended to ignore the harsh comments. "Would you like some tea or some wine?"

"No thanks. I'll wait till we get to the restaurant. Oh brother you won't believe what Tony said to me last night."

Daphne rolled her eyes, not wanting to hear another story about one of Roz's latest flings. But she had no choice. "What did he say?"

"Well, I called him to ask him about our camping trip and he has the nerve to…."

Roz's voice trailed away, but the comments she'd made about Daphne's new dress rang loudly in her head. And suddenly she no longer felt like going to the restaurant at all. But it was too late to cancel. Niles would be arriving any moment and he had planned this night special for all of them.

Daphne quickly excused herself. "I'll be right back. Martin and Frasier should be ready any moment and Niles will be here shortly. I want to check me hair and make sure I look-" She glared at Roz as the harsh reminder of Roz's words came back. "I'll be back in a few moments."

Fighting tears she retreated into her bedroom and closed the door, glancing at herself in the full length mirror. Perhaps Roz was right. Maybe she should change her dress and put on something more appropriate. She had an entire closet full of dresses, but the truth was that they had all become too tight, or didn't fit correctly anymore. But women's bodies changed all the time. It was completely normal, so she had nothing at all to worry about. Sure she had gained a few pounds here and there but so what? She was in love and that was all that mattered; that she had someone to look nice for.

She looked again at the dress which flowed nicely over her body, giving her ample room to move. It was beautiful in the store, that much was true, but now she wasn't so sure…

It was hardly her style but since she and Niles had become a couple, everything had changed; her tests in music, clothing, even food. Actually, food was the biggest change of all. She went from eating the same foods almost every day to being overwhelmed with trying new things. Niles was always taking her to the finest restaurants, buying her chocolates and sweets that she never would have dared eat before. Not to mention the parties. There were so many parties, all of which always had an abundance of food on hand. It would have been rude not to try at least some of their samplings. The parties really weren't her thing, but Niles insisted, saying that he wanted to show off the woman he loved. Oh, how those words warmed her heart and made her love him even more than she already did.

She was hardly his type, but love had a way of breaking through. And so when he offered to take everyone out to dinner at Le Cigar Volante, a restaurant which had amazingly become one of her favorites, she knew she had to find the perfect dress. He was forever complimenting her and she was sure that any of the dresses she had in her closet would do just fine. But this was Niles and he was more special to her than anyone. And so she decided to splurge and buy something just for the occasion.

Fortunately Mr. Crane had expressed interest in going to McGinty's earlier than normal and the fact that Daphne was going to be alone for a few hours gave her the perfect excuse to go to her favorite clothing store "Emerald City Woman" in search of the perfect dress. She'd found the store quite by accident one afternoon when shopping with Martin. She had planned on going to "Diva" the store that she'd shopped in for years, ever since she came to Seattle. But lately their sizes had been a bit "off".

The size she normally wore no longer fit and the fact that they sold nothing bigger was a major disappointment. Didn't they realize that women came in all shapes and sizes? She considered complaining to the manager, but instead she thought about Niles advice on trying new things. And so she ventured into a new store; one she'd never seen before, called "Emerald City Woman".

The Sales Associates were so helpful in doing measurements and she was overjoyed when she realized that she now wore the smallest size in the store instead of the largest. She'd now found a new place to shop. "Diva" was history.

She had to admit that the clothes at Diva were much more stylish than Emerald City Woman. And it pained her that she could no longer shop there. She considered wearing something less casual, but she knew that Niles would be handsomely dressed the way he always was. She just hoped that he didn't find her as repulsive as Roz had.

The thought was like a knife to her heart, bringing tears that refused to stop. And then she heard the doorbell. She took one more glance in the mirror, wishing that she had bought something else; anything else. But it was too late to change now. She would just have to hope and pray that her dress was suitable.

It was the moment of truth.

Ignoring Roz who was sitting on the sofa drinking a glass of wine, Daphne entered the room. Martin and Frasier were there, looking handsome in their suits and ties. But she couldn't help noticing the way they were glancing at her. However, to their credit, neither man said a word.

The doorbell rang again and Daphne frowned. "I'll get it." She crossed the room and went to the door. Her heart was racing so quickly and she was fully prepared to tell Niles the story of how she had come to pick out a dress that, mere moments ago, she loved but now hated.

She thrust the door open, almost melting at the sight of the man she loved so deeply. He wore a dark suit and a blue tie; one that brought out the color of his eyes.

And the kiss he gave her was like heaven.

"You look very handsome." She remarked.

He stared at her, his mouth open in disbelief. And he was silent for so long that the tears rose to her eyes. "W-what is it?" She asked, willing her voice to remain steady.

"Nothing. I just… is that a new dress?"

Daphne glanced at Roz who mouthed _"Big mistake",_ and suddenly she had to fight to keep her tears at bay. "Y-yes it is. I saw it in the store and I-."

"Daphne…"

"You know what? Why don't you all go out to dinner? I have a bit of a headache."

His hand went to her cheek, and then her forehead. "I'm sorry my love. But perhaps you'll feel better when you've had a nice meal. I so wanted to spend the evening with the woman I love. I missed you so much today."

"I missed you too."

A tear escaped and he quickly brushed it away with his thumb. "What's wrong, my angel?"

"Nothing. I just… I hope this dress is okay. I wasn't sure what to wear so I went to the store and-."

He continued to stare at her and then cradled her face in his hands and kissed her. "Oh Daphne, you look so incredibly beautiful."

His oh-so-sweet words brought tears to her eyes and as before he brushed them away. He'd said the words before, many times in fact, but now she was in a state of pure disbelief.

"I do?"

He smiled and brushed a lock of hair from her forehead, kissing it softly. "You're absolutely stunning. You've never looked more beautiful."  
She held him tightly kissing him again and again. His words made her feel like she could fly. "That's the sweetest thing you've ever said to me, Niles. I love you so much."

"I love you too, Daphne."

When they arrived at the restaurant, Niles was ever the gentleman, pulling out her chair for her to allow her to sit. And when Roz got up to go to the ladies' room, she turned to Niles and took his hand.

"Do you really think I look beautiful, Niles? You're not just saying that? I know this dress isn't the type I'd usually buy but-."

His kiss stopped her from saying more. "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever known, both inside and out."

"But I'm-."

"You're wonderful, Daphne; absolutely wonderful and I love you so much. Now what would you like to order? You can have anything, my love. Anything at all. Anything at all."

And that's when she started to cry.

* * *

Immediately his smile disappeared and his face held a look of concern. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just-."

"What is it?"

She looked at him tearfully and sighed. "It's me. I'm-."

"You're what?"

"Well, look at me! This dress, me body! It's…"

"You're beautiful."

She shook her head. "No I'm not. I'm a tub, Niles! Can't you see that? Roz certainly did." She looked around the table, her heart sinking at the sight of Roz. Frasier and

Martin were complimenting her on her appearance, but yet they hadn't said a word to Daphne. Only Niles had commented on Daphne's appearance.

"Daphne, I don't know what Roz said to you, but you are beautiful-."

"But me clothes… I had to buy a new dress because… nothing fits anymore!"

"Well, that happens from time to time. But please believe me when I say that you are beautiful."

"I'm… different now."

Niles smiled and kissed her. "And I love you-just the way you are."

"Are you sure, Niles? You love me, looking the way I do?"

He took her in his arms and held her close. "I will always love you, Daphne. And you will always be beautiful to me."

She drew back briefly and stared into his beautiful eyes. "You're not just saying that?"

"You may be different now and you may not look like you did when we first met. And I'm glad."

Her eyebrows rose." You are?"

"I'm glad things are different now. In fact I'm ecstatic."

"But how can you possibly-."

"Because I know that you love me. And that's the most wonderful feeling in the world. Thank you, Daphne."

She held him tightly, crying softly onto his shoulder. He stroked her back, letting her cry as much as she wanted, despite the crowd in the restaurant. And when she drew back he handed her his handkerchief. "Are you sure you're going to be all right, Daphne?"

"I'm fine. I'm sorry for making such a scene."

"Nonsense. You haven't made a scene at all. But we should probably order now. What would you like?"

She glanced through the menu, painfully aware that almost everything on it would surely create more pounds that she certainly didn't need. But she was absolutely

starting. And everything looked so wonderful. And suddenly she decided that she didn't care how many calories or grams of fat her meal contained. Niles loved her

unconditionally and that was all that mattered. "I'll have this." She said pointing to a dish that contained heavy cream sauce and chicken with thick pasta.

His smile warmed her heart. "Oh, that looks heavenly. Will you let me try a bite?"

She kissed him softly. "Of course I will, Darling. But can I ask for one more thing?"

"Absolutely."

Her eyes moved to the back of the menu, where the scrumptious deserts were listed. Just reading the descriptions made her mouth water. "May I get a desert too?"

"Of course, Daphne. That sounds wonderful."

She kissed him again. "Thank you, Niles for making this night so perfect. I love you so much."

"I love you too, Daphne."

As the waiter moved around the table to take their orders, Daphne smiled. She loved Niles more than anything in the world. She believed him when he said she looked beautiful, even if she hadn't before. Roz may have had a lovely figure and was wearing a stunning dress while men swarmed around her, but Daphne had something far more wonderful. She had a man who loved her no matter what she looked like. A man who would love her forever.

And that was even sweeter than all of the deserts in the world.

THE END


End file.
